Sports Minister Vijay Goel Visits Ailing Hockey Legend Mohammad Shahid

Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Wednesday paid a visit to ailing hockey legend Mohammad Shahid who is undergoing treatment for a liver and kidney ailment at a private hospital in Gurgaon.

"Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (I/C) Shri Vijay Goel today visited ailing Hockey legend Mohammad Shahid," the ministry said in a statement.

The 56-year-old legend was admitted to Medanta - the Medicity earlier this month after a bout of jaundice and dengue made his condition worse. He was airlifted from Varanasi.

Former Sports Minister Dr Jitendra Singh had announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for Shahid. Besides this, the Railways, where Shahid is an employee, has announced that his medical expenses will be taken care of.

Known for his dribbling skills, Shahid is considered one of India's great hockey players. He was a member of the V Baskaran-led Indian team that won a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

He was also a part of the national team that won a silver medal at the Delhi Asian Games in 1982 and bronze in the Seoul Asiad in 1986.

During the visit, Sports Minister Goel inquired about Shahid's well-being and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's best wishes to the legendary forward for his speedy recovery.

Goel personally met each of the family members of Shahid, which included his wife Praveen Shahid, son Mohammad Saif and daughter Heena Shahid.

Doctors attending on Shahid also briefed the minister about the critical condition of the player and said best treatment was being provided to him.

Goel also said that Indian hockey teams participating at Rio Olympics will always have the best wishes of Shahid in their endeavour to fly the tricolour high during the competition.